The present invention relates to an improved oil filter assembly for filtering virtually all of the oil delivered to an automobile engine. The assembly is permanently mounted adjacent the engine and contains a re-usable planar filter member which is easily removed from the assembly for inspection and cleaning.
Fluid filters having generally planar filter elements are well-known in the patented prior art as evidenced by the patents to Cox U.S. Pat. No. 2,280,480, Ernst et al U.S. Pat. No. 876,901, Werner U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,623 and Hale U.S. Pat. No. 1,488,671. The Cox patent, for example discloses an oil filter comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings and containing a replaceable filter element which includes a filter sheet, a layer of charcoal, a perforated plate, and a filtering cloth. Similarly, the Ernst et al patent discloses a filter formed of a layer of filtering material arranged between two layers of wire gauge. The patent to Werner discloses a fuel filter for internal combustion engines which comprises two shell members which define a housing within which there is arranged a porous filter plate. Finally, the Hale patent discloses a strainer containing a generally planar screen for filtering particulates from a fluid such as water, air, or oil. While the prior devices normally operate quite satisfactorily, they each possess certain inherent drawbacks which limit their filtering efficiency. Thus, for example, none of the prior devices include apparatus for distributing the medium to be filtered about the entire surface area of the filter. Accordingly, the prior filters quickly become clogged and restrict the flow of the fluid medium. Furthermore, none of the filter members of the prior devices are readily removable for cleaning and re-use.
The present invention was developed in order to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior devices by providing a permanent oil filter assembly which efficiently and reliably filters oil to an engine. The assembly is designed to distribute oil to be filtered over the entire surface area of a planar filter member, whereby the oil will be filtered uniformly. Furthermore, the filter member may be readily removed from the assembly for inspection, cleaning and re-use.